American Center for Art and Culture
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Former name | Mona Bismarck American Center |
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Established | 1986 |
Dissolved | 12 December 2022 |
Location | 34 Avenue de New York 75116 Paris, France |
Coordinates | 48°51′47″N 2°17′41″E / 48.863107°N 2.294819°E |
President | Karen Altuzarra, Président (US) et Anne-Hélène Monsellato (France) |
Public transit access | Iéna Alma-Marceau |
Website | www |
The American Center for Art and Culture, formally known as the Mona Bismarck American Center and open from 1986 to 2022, was a venue based in Paris, France that was dedicated to the presentation of American creation and culture.[1]
The center was launched in 2011, based on the legacy of the Mona Bismarck Foundation, which became active in 1986 following the death of its founder and sole benefactor. The American philanthropist Countess Mona von Bismarck donated her Parisian townhouse and the majority of her estate to found the Mona Bismarck Foundation, as "her desire was to establish a Cultural Centre in Paris to enhance the cause of American/French friendship upon her death".[2]
On 4 July 2019, the Mona Bismarck American Center became the American Center for Art and Culture.[3] On 12 December 2022 it was announced that the center was selling the property, with proceeds going to the American Library in Paris.[1]
History
The Center
Located on the Seine, across from the Eiffel Tower, the hôtel particulier, or townhouse, was built at the end of the 19th century. It was reconfigured for Mona Bismarck in the late 1950s by French interior decorator Stéphane Boudin. The building was featured in a 1928 issue of Vogue.[4]
Programming
Exhibitions
One exhibition of American art was presented each year in partnership with international institutions. Exhibitions focused on a single artist or theme and represented a range of artistic styles and movements.
Past exhibitions
- Quilt Art: Patchwork Art
February 13 – May 19, 2013
- Mary Cassatt in Paris: Prints and Drawings from the Ambroise Vollard Collection
September 26, 2012 – January 20, 2013
- The Wyeths: Three Generations of American Art (Bank of America Merrill Lynch Collection)
November 10, 2011 – February 12, 2012
July 3 – September 22, 2013
- Yousuf Karsh: Icons of the 20th Century
October 16, 2013 – January 26, 2014
March, 12 – July 17, 2016
- Landscape with a Ruin. Evan Roth
October 2017- November 2017
Public programs
The American Center for Art and Culture invited the public to discover American culture through a program of concerts, performances and discussions Archived 2021-05-09 at the Wayback Machine. The center was also often rented out for private events at night.
Education
The program Look & Learn aimed to broaden French students’ appreciation of American culture and art while creating a friendly environment where students could feel comfortable expressing themselves in English.
Images
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Interior lobby
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Detail of center, chandelier
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Stairway
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Library
Exhibition samples
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Yousuf Karsh, Martha Graham, 1948
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Mary Cassatt, Under the Horse-Chestnut Tree, 1896-1897
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Mary Cassatt, The Lamp, 1890-1891
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Mary Cassatt, In the Omnibus, 1890-1891
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Mary Cassatt, The Barefooted Child, 1896-1897
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Mary Cassatt, Portrait of the Artist, 1878
References
- ^ a b "The American Center for Art & Culture" (PDF) (Press release). The American Center for Art and Culture. Heymann Associés. 12 December 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
- ^ Rajakaruna, C. "Mona Bismarck Foundation: Its Background Information and the Role It Plays in the American Community Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine." United States Embassy France. Retrieved 24 Apr. 2013.
- ^ "Independence Day: les 5 sorties à Paris".
- ^ "MONA VON BISMARCK." Voguepedia. Vogue, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2013. <http://www.vogue.com/voguepedia/Mona_von_Bismarck Archived 2013-05-31 at the Wayback Machine>.
External links
Further reading
- Birchfield, James. Kentucky Countess: Mona Bismarck in Art and Fashion. Lexington: University of Kentucky Art Museum, 1997.
- Launet, Edouard. "L’American Center Ressuscite à Paris." Libération. N.p., 20 Sept. 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2013.
- "Quilt Art @ The Mona Bismarck American Center." Quilt Art @ The Mona Bismarck American Center. Needleprint, 16 Feb. 2013.
- Art Slant Paris, Mona Bismarck Center